Tag Archives: Technology Limits

Ready for a Challenge. Listen, this is not for beginners. The instructions are not keep your phone usage under 5 hours per day and limit your binge watching for the weekend. No, this book will make you want to throw your phone out the window and hug your kids for an hour. The challenge is real people, so buckle up.

Hold Hands. Why do we hold our kids’ hands in the parking lot? To lead them to our car and not let them get hit by a Target shopper who couldn’t wait to hit the dollar bin. Same principle here. Crouch holds your hand the whole way, guiding you through each principle, and giving you practical steps to accomplish each step.

Rest in Peace. Most of us reading this do not rest. You may have times of leisure, but we do not rest. God rested. Is this thing on? God rested. And yet we still think we can go 24/7 with another shot of espresso, a smartphone, and a Google home. Doesn’t work that way. You need to rest, and this plan will help you get there.

The Bad:

Have you met my kids? I love my kids dearly, but some of these rules/steps are…I’m laughing out loud as I type this thinking of my children…unrealistic. To his credit, the author does say this is not a one size fit all plan. For example, tea on Sunday? Yeah my 4 year old son is gonna be hyped for an afternoon of tea and classical music. I can just hear him saying, “Daddy, my turn to pick? I’d like to hear Symphony No. 5 in C minor…please daddy?”. Or the rule of no screens till they are 10. Now keep in mind, this is cherry picking the difficult ones. Most principles are dynamite and need to be considered.

The Grade: A-

The case is made. I mean, just look at this Time Magazine article, there is no debate anymore. Too much screen time for children is dangerous and hazardous to our kid’s spiritual and mental health. It’s time we take control, set boundaries, and not allow the addiction to technology start when they are in diapers. Feel free to start small. That is what our family did as we have implemented several ideas, and they have been beneficial to our family. And one more thing, the tech-wise family, it starts with the parents. Set the example, and lead your family into being a tech-wise family. It will be uncomfortable at first, but that’s often where God works best.

OK, I can hear you from here. You’re thinking: “this is another guilt-me-into-putting-my-cell-phone-down blog. I’ve seen these a million times, and I feel guilty for a day and go without my cell phone. Then, the next day a new version of Candy Crush comes available for free, and I go bananas (pardon the pun)”

Bear with me, let’s start with an experiment. Next time you drive on the highway, take a look around. Count how many people are on their cell phones while driving. Maybe your highways are safer than mine, so take this experiment to the next restaurant you have dinner, and look to see who is actually having conversations with a non-electronic device. Take a stroll to the park, and watch parents push their kids on swings with one hand, and check their social media on their smartphone with the other. Even when teenagers hang out, it’s commonplace for phones to be out and communication to be non-existent.

What’s my point? Is the iPocolypse upon us. Should we all try to build a Delorean with a flux capacitor to get us back 15 years. Doc, slow down. Before we get to some answers, let’s start with the bad news:

Danger, Danger! You’ve all seen articles like this or this. There’s no doubt about it, with the overuse of technology, there comes developmental and social ramifications. Don’t ignore the warning signs of technology addiction. It’s real, and must be monitored in the future.

FOMS. Anxiety is a growing problem for this generation. In fact, there is a term for the anxiety that occurs with a smartphone, it called Fear of Missing Something or FOMS. It may seem silly, but the statistics of this are staggering. Read here.

So Much for Honor Roll. Anxiety is also growing inside the classroom. While there are benefits of technology in the classroom, there are also some drawbacks. Not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, just presenting facts to consider.

The Good News:

Techie Faith. Teens are using their tablets for devotions and iPods for Bible reading. While I’m a big fan of feeling the Scripture pages with my fingers, technology can provide an avenue for Spiritual growth and discovery. (See Barna’s article)

Millennials, Robots in Disguise? Can you say multitasking while chewing gum, patting your head, listening to your iPod, and skating…a typical Millennial can. The ability of this generation to process information quickly, multitask, and decipher technology is astounding (I caught my one year old texting the other day, not joking). This ability can be a huge advantage in their education, breadth of learning, and advancing our technology even further in the future.

World-View. Whether it is learning of an earthquake in Central America within minutes of it happening, or finding out about persecution in the Far East…the worldview expansion of this generation has potential to be world-changing. Possibly by prayer, financial support, or leading causes, we are seeing more teenagers taking strides in making a difference in the world.

When it comes down to it, the key word here is BALANCE. When it comes to technology, don’t throw the cell phone out with the bath water. Technology provides educational tools, instant access to information, and globalization of communication. However, the overuse has seen the rise in anxiety amongst teens, increase in auto accidents, slow erosion of academic performance and decrease of quality family time. Where is the balance? Here’s some action points to help:

Be Smart with your SmartPhone. Put the thing away when you are driving, riding a bike, or walking on a bridge.

Set Limits. These could include, but not limited to: no cell phones at dinner, limit yourself to 1-2 games on your phone/tablet, must be put away when entering the house from work, and at a distance when on a date or playing with the kids. For kids & teens especially – no cell phones during homework/study and after designated bed time.

Charging Station. Especially for teens that are suffering from sleep deprivation and sleep texting, take the temptation away. Design a charging station away from the bedrooms, and check the phones before your shower, not between 1am-5am.

Security. Set up security and restrictions on devices. With teens averaging 6 devices, it’s no longer just computers that provide temptations. Parents, keep an eye on this, and set up software to protect. BUT DON’T STOP THERE! Have regular conversations about purity vs. pornography, online bullying, and proper technology behavior (i.e. sexting).

Superheroes of Technology. In virtually every superhero movie, there’s a quote that or scene that depicts the phrase “use your powers for good not evil”. Encourage yourself and students to use this power of technology for good. Help them find and pray for global causes, teach them to witness on social media, and show them Bible study tools online. The list is endless for positive things too.